华东师范大学英美文化考试资料总结
主题：期末考试题型与范围
期末考试的题型有:
1. 听力(点填空)
2. 阅读理解
3. 选择题
4. 匹配体(即提供一组名词术语和何一组解释,要求将名词术语与相应解释文字匹配起来)
5. 判断对错
考试内容就是课本中的地理、历史、政治和教育共四章内容，题目只涉及课本内容，不涉及课堂拓展内容，所以请大家务必好好看书。
另外考试请记住带收音机，并在试卷上写好自己的上课时间（单双周/星期/第几节课）Americans established their basic system of public schools in 1825.
A basic reading literacy 99%
Equality of opportunity
Elementary through college
American public school system:
Generally speaking
P rimary→elementary schools six years of elementary schools
↓compulsory education two years of junior high (middle )school secondary→high schools four years of senior high school
↓
Finally higher levels→college undergraduate and graduate programs
Generally speaking,five years old and ending at 16 to 18, but can vary slightly from state to state.
12 years different 6-3-3 5-3-4 but all do guarantee 12years of compulsory education.
Education requirements can generally be satisfied by attending:
public schools,
state-certified private schools, religious, privately owned, etc.
or an approved home school program.
School attendance is mandatory and nearly universal at the primary and secondary levels (often known inside the United States as the elementary and high school levels).
Education in the United States is provided mainly by government, with control and funding coming from three levels: federal, state, and local.
Official name:
the United States of America，Often called as the United States, the U.S., the US, the USA, or simply America, or the States in American spoken English
National Anthem国歌: The Star-Spangled Banner 《星条旗永不落》
National Day国庆节: July 4
National flower: rose
National stone: blue sapphire
National bird: bald eagle
Capital: Washington D.C. (as a memorial to George Washington and Christopher Columbus) Nickname: Uncle Sam
American Government and Politics
I. Foundations
1.Articles of Confederation
2.American Constitution
3.Bill of Rights
1. The Articles of Confederation
?When the War of Independence was over, the United States was not one unified nation as it is
today.Each new state was organized very much like an independent nation, they
1)had its own government
2)made its own laws
3)handled all of its internal affairs
?The agreement that set the plan of cooperation (the states cooperate with the Congress or
with each other) was called—The Articles of Confederation（1781）《联邦条款》
?However, it has two serious weaknesses:
1)no national executive or law-enforcing branch
2)the Congress’s inability to regulate trade and levy taxes 征税
?On February 21, 1787, Congress called for a Constitutional Convention 制宪会议to be
held in May to revise the articles. All of the states except Rhode Island were represented.
2. American Constitution
?Between May and September,1787, the convention wrote the present Constitution for the
United States
The Constitution set up a federal system with a strong central government.
It became the fundamental law of the land on March 4, 1789.
?It retained some of the features of the Articles of Confederation but gave considerably more
power to the federal government.
?The new Constitution provided for executive and judicial branches of government, lacking in
the Articles, and allowed the government to tax its citizens.
?The Constitution also called for the election of a national leader, or president.
?It provided that federal laws would be made only by a Congress made up of representatives
elected by the people.
?It also provided for national court system headed by a Supreme Court.
3. Bill of Rights
?The first ten amendments to the U.S Constitution were called the Bill of Rights
?It was adopted in 1791 and promises to protect individuals’rights.
II. Government Institutions
1.The Executive Branch
2.The Judiciary Branch
3.The Legislative Branch
Government
?The government was set up according to the American Constitution,based on 3 general
principles
?Federalism
?The Separation of Powers
?Respect for the Constitution and the rule of law
Principle 1. Federalism
Each American is subject to 2 governments
1. That of the Union
2. That of his state
Principle 2. Separation of powers
1)Executive
2)Legislature
3)Judicial
The 3 elements are checked and balanced
1. The Executive Branch
?Executive Head- president
?The Chief Executive of the United States is the president, who, together with the vice president, is elected to a four-year term.
?In 1951, a constitutional amendment set a limit of two terms
?Two Presidencies
?The President has several significant leadership roles.
?The leadership roles are divided into two large areas of authority and responsibility, domestic policy and foreign affairs policy.
?The leadership roles are generally referred to as the "two presidencies."
1)The Domestic Policy Presidency
?Chief formulator of public policy, often proposes legislation to Congress
?has the formal constitutional authority to oversee the execution and implementation of the law. ?has broad powers to issue regulations and directions regarding the work of the federal government
?has the ability to significantly influence the legislative and judicial branches.
?Appoints federal judges as vacancies occur, including members of the Supreme Court.
?Appoints the heads and senior officials of the executive branch agencies
(Each appointment must be confirmed by the Senate House)
Cabinet
?The appointed secretaries of the major departments of the government make up the president’s cabinet.
?The Cabinet includes the Vice President and the heads of 15 executive departments—the Secretaries of Agriculture, Commerce, Defense, Education, Energy, Health and Human Services, Homeland Security, Housing and Urban Development, Interior, Labor, State, Transportation, Treasury, Veterans Affairs, and the Attorney General. 司法部长
2)The Foreign Policy Presidency
?the Commander-in-Chief of the armed forces
More significantly, while the Congress has the authority to "Declare War," presidents since Washington have "made war" without explicit congressional cooperation.
?Primarily responsible for foreign relations with other nations
?Appoints ambassadors and other officials subject to Senate approval
?Formulates and manages the nation’s foreign policy with the secretary of state 国务卿
?Represents his country in consultations with other heads of state
?Negotiates treaties with other countries through his officials.
(Such treaties must be approved by two-thirds vote of the Senate.)
?Also negotiates with other nations less formal “executive agreements”. 行政协定(Such agreements are not subject to Senate approval.)
?White House--where the first family live
2. The Legislative Branch
?The United States Congress is the chief legislative or law-making body in the land.
?It is the only branch that can make federal laws, levy taxes, declare war or put foreign treaties
into effect.
"All Legislative Powers herein granted shall be vested in a Congress of the United States, which shall consist of a Senate and House of Representatives."
(Article I, Section 1, of the United States Constitution)
?Two Houses comparison
Number of members
?The Senate is composed of 2 members from each state.
?Membership in the House of Representatives is based on population and size of the state, there
are 435 seats elected from constituencies.
Membership
?The Constitution requires that U.S. Senators must be at least 30 years of age, citizens of the U.S
for at least 9 years, and residents of the states from which they are elected.
?The senatorial term is 6 years, and every 2 years one-third of the Senate stands for re-election. ?Members of the House of Representatives must be at least 25, citizens for 7 years, and residents
of the states which send them to Congress.
Lawmaking
?Each house of the Congress has the power to introduce legislation on any subject, EXCEPT revenue bills which must first come from the House of Representatives.
?The Constitution provides that the Vice president shall be president of the Senate. He has no vote, except in a case of a tie.
?The House of Representatives choose its own presiding officer—the Speaker of the House.
Law-making procedure
Either house may propose a bill
read studied commented amended
Vote (if passed)
The other House
(similar procedure occurs)
Law-making procedure
Approval of both Houses
President
Agree Veto 否决
Congress 2/3 majority
Take effect
3. The Judicial Branch
?Constitution, Article III
?Section 1. The Judicial Power of the United States shall be vested in one Supreme Court…
?合众国的司法权属于最高法院….
?Section 2 The judicial power shall extend to all cases, in law and equity衡平法, arising under
this Constitution, the laws of the United States, and treaties made, or which shall be made, under their authority….
?司法权适用的范围，应包括在本宪法、合众国法律、和合众国已订的及将订的条约之下发生的一切涉及普通法及衡平法的案件
?The Supreme Court, created by the Judiciary Act 联邦司法法of September 24, 1789, has final
authority in all legal questions or controversies arising under the Constitution or the laws of the United States.
?The size of the Supreme Court is determined by the Congress. There are currently 9 justices on
the Court—a Chief Justice and 8 Associate Justices. 一名首席大法官及8名大法官
?If without an impeachable 弹劾offense, Supreme Court Justices serve for life or until they
voluntarily retire.
III. Voting & Elections
?Candidates & Campaigns
◆The president election was held every 4 years:
◆The Constitution requires the President candidate to be a natural-born American citizen at
least 35 years of age.
◆The electors of all fifty states and the District of Columbia—a total of 538
persons—comprise what is known as the Electoral College.（选举团）To be successful, a candidate for the Presidency must receive 270 votes.
◆Every successful political campaign consists of three essential ingredients:
? a good candidate
?an adequate organization
?sufficient money to make the campaign go on
?In most elections, each major party selects a candidate and supports him or her with money,
advice, and publicity.
?Because it is expensive to run a campaign, minor parties and independent candidates with
smaller funds find it difficult to compete against the major party candidates for votes.
?Political parties
?Political parties, which are made up of groups of voters who share similar political views, or philosophies, are an important feature of the American political system.
Two Major Parties
?There are two major American parties —the Democratic Party and the Republican Party.
Two Major Parties
the Democratic Party
?Evolved from Thomas Jefferson’s party.
?The symbol of the party is the donkey.
the Republican Party
?Formed in the 1850s by people in the states of the North and West who wanted the government to prevent the expansion of slavery into new states. (Abraham Lincoln is among them.)
?The symbol of the party is the elephant.
The Democratic Party
?Most Americans consider the Democratic party the more liberal party.
?The Democrats believe the federal government and the state governments should be active in providing social and economic programs for those who need them.
?The Democrats earned the reputation in the 1930s during the economic depression.
?Democrats set up government programs to provide paid employment for people building public works—“New Deal” by President Roosevelt. （罗斯福新政）
The Republican Party
?American people tend to regard the Republicans more conservative.
?Republicans believe too many social programs are too costly to the tax-payers.
?They place more emphasis on private enterprise and often accuse the Democrats of making the government too expensive and harm individual initiative.
?Presidential Oath
Presidential Oath administered by Chief Justice
The stars and stripes
Old Glory
The national flag
The star-Spangled Banner
13 alternating red and white stripes + 50 white stars on a blue field
Original 13 colonies the 50 US states
Alaska, the largest in area and Rhode Island(罗得岛州), the smallest; on the mainland, Texas is the largest.
United States
lies in central North America with Canada to its north, Mexico and the Gulf of Mexico to its south, the Atlantic Ocean to its east and the Pacific Ocean to its west.
Canada
America
the Pacific Ocean the Atlantic Ocean
Mexico
-the 4th largest country in the world in size after Russia, Canada and China.
--All together there are 50 states in the US.
--Of all the states Alaska阿拉斯加州is the largest in area and Rhode Island【罗德岛州】the smallest. --on the mainland Texas is the largest.
1. The Missouri river: the longest river in the USA “big muddy ”
2. The Mississippi -- the biggest in terms of water volume ,called “father of waters”and the “old man river”Mark twain “ the adventures of Huckleberry”
The five Great Lakes
Lake Superior苏必利尔Lake Michigan密歇根湖：the only one entirely in the US
Lake Huron休伦湖Lake Erie伊利湖
Lake Ontario安大略湖湖：the largest fresh water lake in the world.